Tokyo Transfer

Day 3 started out early again - although after about a ten hour sleep. We departed the clean, comfortable Nikko Turtle Inn after a morning onsen, and made our way back to Tokyo for our first day in the big city.

First stop, the Tokyo Metropolitan in West Shinjuku for a view of the city from the 45th floor. Next to the well-known famous East Shinjuku to the cross walk where some 4,000 cross with each light during rush hour near the Studio Alta building. East Shinjuku boasts lots of shopping with high-end designers like Louis Vitton and Gucci. A yummy lunch on a 3rd floor restaurant overlooking the bustling street below. (A shout out to Japan-ophile Jason Coco for teaching us to look above street level when scouting a place to eat - Tokyo restaurants can be 6, 7, 8 stories up.)

Next back on the JR line to Harajuku and the crazy busy street, Takeshita-dori, which was FILLED with Japanese teenagers shopping for the latest trends, gossiping with friends, and enjoying tapioca teas and the colorful scene. Everything American goes on Takeshita - grunge bands, Bon Jovi, Converse, and lots of Ts with English translations. Sean bought some funky shirts on sale - his running total is 7 to date. ;)


Following Harajuku, we had to make a trip back to Andromeda's and collect a gift for the woman who stood in line for 3 hours and a typhoon to get tickets for the evenings fireworks show and pop concert. The trip cross town took about an hour and a half (Harajuku to Tokyo to Shin Urayasu to a bus to E Village (our home base). We changed refreshed and headed out about 6pm in hopes of meeting Andromeda at 7:00pm at exit 3 of the Gaiemmae station near Roppongi. Unfortunately, we just missed the bus to the train station and the next bus would get us to the train in the same amount of time as a walk, so we walked back to Shin Urayasu. The trip back however took much longer and we needed to borrow a phone from 2 Japanese girls on the train to call Andromeda. We resorted to our phrase book and somehow made sense even though my pronunciation was apparently off. We left a message for Andromeda and told her we were running late. A minute later one of the girls came over to us and said we need to call again, by handing us the phone and saying "again". We all had a laugh and thanked them very much, arigato gozaimas.

We finally met Andromeda and her fan and headed through a MASS of people crowded around the streets to view the fireworks. The show had already begun before we arrived and I was wondering why we were continuing to push through the crowds. After about 15 minutes of pushing and being pushed, we made it to our destination. A baseball stadium that had been turned into the venue for the pop concert and fireworks show. We were led to our seats in the covered outfield and watched along with the thousands of other spectators that oohed and aahed, particularly with the bright white explosions that left a trail like a willow tree. Every few minutes, after a round of fireworks, there would be a corporate sponsor that would be shown by laser on a digital screen or had their own company name in lit patterns on the outfield wall.

After the fireworks, a figure appeared on the big screen and a roar from the crowd arose. Apparently some well known television figure was there in a comedy skit and before we knew it, hundreds of girls were running to the stage in yakatas and waving their fans. It was a swarm with screaming and laughing. Another person joined him in a boxers robe, which he discarded and was left with tight black shorts with a few Japanese character words across the back.

The evening finished a little after 9pm and we walked back towards Roppongi with Andromeda, her fan and her 2 children, who were adorable. The young boy was practicing his English with us and eagerly fanning Sue and Andromeda to keep them cool in the humid Tokyo evening.

We parted ways with Andromeda and walked a little through Roppongi, which was kind of seedy and not really enjoyable. Offers for nude bars and "shows" were shouted out by Nigerian men, hustling to draw in tourists and business men. We found some dinner at a corner sushi bar and sat at the counter to a wonderfully prepared (although expensive) dinner. A cold bottle of sake accompanied us and we made our way over to the Okura hotel to pick up a phone that had been left for us. The 5 star hotel had a beautiful lobby and we obtained the phone and headed back to Andromeda's. A little before the last train, but still with enough late night drunks to give us a dose of the late evening Tokyo subway experience. It was quite hilarious watching the drunks carry on or pass out on the train ride home.

Back at Andromeda's we prepared for our early departure for Kyoto the following morning and passed out around 1am for a 5am wake up and departure for Kyoto. No sleep till...

Japanese word/phrase of the day:
ego ga hanasemaska - Do you speak English?